SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — The People’s National Party (PNP) says it intends to slash Jamaica’s 60-year adverse-possession requirement on Crown land to just 25 years, vowing to turn longtime occupants into documented landowners and unleash what it calls a new era of “economic dignity.”
Speaking at the PNP Women’s Movement rally at Manning’s School on Sunday, St James Southern standard-bearer Nekeisha Burchell framed the reform as a top priority should the party regain State power.
“Land is dignity. We won’t force citizens to wait a lifetime to claim what they’ve built their lives upon,” Burchell told the crowd of supporters.
What the proposal would change
- Adverse possession period: Reduced from 60 years to 25 years for most Crown lands.
- Foreshore exception: Coastal properties would still carry the existing 60-year threshold.
- Provisional titles: Occupants could receive an interim certificate before the 25 years mature, enabling them to use the title as collateral at financial institutions.
- Digital mapping: GPS surveys and drone imagery would be rolled out to verify occupancy and accelerate title issuance.
- 40,000 titles annually: The party projects it can generate that volume once the programme is in full swing.
The economic argument
Burchell asserted that entrenched land insecurity traps families in generational poverty. By issuing provisional titles, she argues, occupants gain leverage with banks such as NCB and Scotiabank — a move the PNP contends will unlock capital for home improvements, small businesses, and agriculture.
Political backdrop
PNP spokesperson on land, Lothan Cousins, tabled the initiative during the 2025/26 Sectoral Debate, positioning it as the centrepiece of a wider land-reform agenda. The policy doubles as a rallying cry for the party’s base, many of whom reside on parcels without formal documentation.
Next steps
Should the PNP form the next Government, Burchell said the rollout would begin with a nationwide audit of government-owned lands already under informal occupation. The party also plans to accelerate transfers of mined-out bauxite lands to surrounding communities.
For Burchell, the message is straightforward: “Power to the people means paper in their hand — not a promise in the air.”
